|
Disadvantage
No. 1
Anyone
who has recently heard the music of the films - Joru Ka Ghulam,
Beti No.1, Kunwara, Hadh Kar Di Aapne and Dil Ne Phir Yaad
Kiya - will concur that our Hero No. 1 isn’t at all fastidious
about what passes for music in his films. Govinda, the one-man
entertainer in showbiz after Amitabh Bachchan, loses out to
the Khans and even most of the other top-bracket stars in
this crucial department.
On the
positive side, it may be said that Govinda has remained in
the top-stratum of stars consistently since Aankhen (1993),
despite a low average of hits and an almost insignificant
list of chart-topping scores and songs. But let’s face
it - movies get initials today on their music and song picturisations,
and good music may not make or mar a film but certainly enhances
its repeat and perennial value.
The tragedy
is that Chi-Chi is attempting a Bachchan minus his flair for
hit songs. Amitabh Bachchan’s persona inspired his filmmakers
and composers to be at their best, in direct contradiction
to the myth that he destroyed music. But then he was surrounded
by master filmmakers who knew how to work in hit songs into
a good script and composers like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji,
R.D. Burman and Rajesh Roshan. The role of songs like Khaike
paan Banaraswala, My name is Anthony Gonsalves or Mere paas
aao mere doston cannot be understated for their contribution
to AB’s sustained supremacy.
Govinda is working in a set-up where item songs are bull-dozed
into (mostly) pathetic scripts and music-makers who are more
concerned with their own insecurities. He is also shunned
for no specific reason by the few music-conscious filmmakers
around.
But let
us forget memorable numbers and see at least his hits. The
last truly chart-topping Govinda number was Ankhiyon se goli
maaro (Dulhe Raja). In the entire ’90s, he has had a
mere handful of chart-toppers like Sarkailo khatiya (Raja
Babu), Meri pant bhi sexy (Dulaara), Kisi disco mein jaaye
(Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan) and Lal dupatte wali (Aankhen) to
name a few. Considering the fact that the man has done almost
80 films in this period, this is catastrophically low. Add
the fact that none of these songs have been musical masterpieces
likely to stand the test of time - in which category he may
barely have a song or two like Sanam mere sanam (Hum) - and
you know why Govinda is still considered a downmarket also-ran
despite being way ahead of his contemporaries in calibre and
range.
Hum and
Pardesi Babu apart, no Govinda film in the ’90s boasts
of standard music. On the contrary the bulk of his music ranges
from mediocre (Saajan Chale Sasural) to horrendous (Hum Tumpe
Marte Hain), and now that he is irretrievably trapped in the
clowning genre, his music too seems to be automatically downgraded,
just as it was in the ’80s when he was labelled as a
kind of junior Mithun Chakraborty.
There’s
only one way out of this impasse. If Chi-Chi cannot work with
a higher calibre of filmmakers, he at least needs someone
who can guide him in his music. Over the decades, heroes have
been known to pick and choose their music carefully. Involvement
has led to fantastic results in the case of stars like Shammi
Kapoor, peak-time Dev Anand, Manoj Kumar, Rishi Kapoor and
Rajesh Khanna, to name just five.
The debate
on whether a star makes a song or vice-versa is frankly irrelevant
here. By hook or by crook, the most versatile actor of this
generation must become a Maahir instead of an Anaari No.1
in matters musical.
Rajiv
Vijayakar
More...
 Passion
for singing
MTV
ad raises a stink
|
